Cream butter and sugar in mixer before adding eggs and vanilla. Then add dry ingredient (slowly) until combined.

American biscotti is slightly more tender than the more traditional Italian version. It has a light, dry crumb that's oddly addictive and super simple to make. It can have any number of add-ins tossed in the mix and is a great way to clear out the pantry of bits of dried fruit, nuts or sweets. We made ours with a handful of cranberries, apricots and a bit of Mangosteen green tea — just for fun!

You can take this base recipe and add in up to a cup to a cup and a half of additional ingredients. For every cup of dehydrated ingredients, make sure to add 1tablespoon of liquid to keep things moist. Crumbly is good, not holding together isn't.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cream butter and sugar in mixer until fluffy and then add in vanilla and eggs. Scrape bowl and combine remaining dry ingredients (without add ins) in a separate bowl. Whisk until combined and then slowly add to the wet ingredients in the mixer. When dough forms, remove bowl from mixer and add dry ingredients. Stir by hand to incorporate.

Place dough onto parchment paper in a long log shape (roughly 14" in length) Try to make it as even as possible to encourage even baking (though you'll notice ours got a little lopsided). Bake for 25 minutes and remove from oven.

Adjust oven temperature to 325 degrees. Let sit for 10 minutes on counter and wipe dough with a damp paper towel. Cut on a bias to create the familiar biscotti shape and spread out on cookie sheet once again (you can use the same piece of parchment, the residue won't burn). Bake for an additional 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Allow to cool on a drying rack and store in an airtight container for up to a week. If they lose their crisp crunch, try leaving them out on the counter, or reheating them in a 200 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.